


Forgive Me

by danagracee (harry_stiles)



Series: FFXV One Shots [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Breaking Up & Making Up, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Kissing, Drunken Shenanigans, Drunkenness, F/M, Forgiveness, Guilt, Implied Sexual Content, Love, Love/Hate, Making Up, Mistakes, Non-Consensual Kissing, Romance, Rough Kissing, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-07 14:27:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8804455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harry_stiles/pseuds/danagracee
Summary: On New Year's Eve Noctis ends up getting tipsy and making the worst mistake in his life. It's up to you to forgive him or not.





	1. Chapter 1

                The second he started giggling at everything you said you knew he was drunk. Noctis was a pretty quiet guy, your interactions with him were usually short and sweet unless your friend Ignis wanted you to watch over him and tonight was no different.

                _“Just watch him for a second-”_

_“Ignis, he’s a grown man! Why do you always stick me with him!? I’m not his babysitter.” You huffed. It wasn’t that you hated Noctis, _it was just you had other friends_ and you didn’t want to be stuck with him all night. It caused too much unwanted attention and you even got asked if you two were dating the last time you two were together. It wasn’t that you didn’t find Noctis attractive, you just didn't didn’t have romantic feelings for him._

_“Because even though he’s an adult he still has the mind and tendencies of a child.” Ignis ran his fingers through his hair. “Just please… talk to him,” he begged. “He enjoys your company. It’s the last day of the year anyway.”_

_Why would he enjoy my company when he could be talking to the dozens of pretty women around here?_ You snorted and shot a glare in Noctis’ direction, but when you noticed the way he was looking at you you suddenly felt uncomfortable.

                “Noct? Feeling alright?” You asked quietly when he continued to stare at you.

                “Alright? I feel great.” He gave you a wide, toothy grin. “Especially with you here.”

                _Oh God…_ “I think you should stop drinking.” You quickly took his wine glass from him and set it beside yours. “Ignis is not going to be happy to know-”

                “Who cares about him right now?" He lowered his voice to a sultry whisper. "Let’s talk you and me.”

                You chuckled in surprise. “There is no you and I, Noct.” You stood to your feet to get away from the awkward conversation for a few moments. _Who knew he’d be such a weird drunk?_ “Why don’t you hang out here? I’ll be right back-”

                “No you won’t.” He stood to his feet quickly and grabbed your wrist. “You said that last time and then you never came back. And you know what happened?” He paused but not long enough time for you to answer. “Woman after woman came to sit down with me.”

                “Isn’t that a good thing?” You snatched your hand away from him and started to walk down the hall towards the main room. _He’s being_ really _weird._ “It’s time for you to think about getting married anyway.”

                “No.” This time he grabbed you with more force and pushed you up against the nearest wall.

                “Noctis, what the hell-” You started but the way his eyes bore into yours made you stop. You swallowed. _OK. He’s mad. No idea why, but I should just play along with him until I can leave.  
_

“Why do you keep avoiding me?” His eyebrows furrowed and you shivered. You had never seen him so mad before and it was downright terrifying.

                _How can I avoid you when I barely see you in the first place?!_ You bit your tongue to prevent yourself from offending him. “Because you’re the prince. Why would you want to hang around me?”

                The expression that crossed his face was that of shock and disbelief. “I can hang out with whoever I want to. It doesn’t make a difference if you’re royalty or not.”

                _Can he let me go!? I can’t even feel my hand anymore._ “I’ll keep that in mind.” You held your breath, not knowing what to say next as he just continued to stare at you.

                “You’re really beautiful, have I told you that?” He suddenly blurted out.

                “Uh… thank you?” You laughed under your breath in surprise at his sudden change in topic. You tried to shake his hand off but his grip tightened. “Noctis, I can’t feel my hand. Can you please let me go?”

                “I’d never let you go.” His whisper was so sensual and husky it made you stop struggling to get away from him. He had never behaved in a sexual manner towards you and it took you completely off guard. It was a second later when he threw you for a loop, and right in that moment you knew why Ignis kept telling you to hang out with Noctis.

                His lips were soft against yours despite the predatory gaze he was giving you up until now. You were so shocked you couldn't move, allowing him to plant his hands on your waist as he continued kissing you. As soon as you felt his tongue against your lips you flinched and came out of your daze.

                “Noctis… wait…” You gasped as he lowered one hand to where his fingertips grazed the bottom of your dress. He silenced you by kissing you harder, his hand slowly sliding up your dress.

                _This is not happening… Not happening… Even though he’s kinda cute and he feels nice… Shit…_ You slapped at his wrist, but he still continued. It was the second you felt his fingers slip into the waistband of your panties that you snapped. You bit down on his lip hard, making him instantly stop. You yanked his hand from underneath your dress and shoved him away as hard as possible. “Stop,” you yelled at him, causing more of a scene than you wanted.

                You glanced past him, noticing several people had most likely witnessed if not everything, most of what had gone on. You were terrified to meet Noctis’ gaze, but you were more furious at him then scared. You sent him a venomous glare before uttering, “Just… stop,” and shoving past him. You wiped at your now watering eyes. You were ashamed to admit you were crying, but you were so scared he was going to keep going when he knew you wanted him to stop. All you just wanted to get away from him and this stupid party.

                _I’m just going to go home._ You walked as fast as you could down the hall towards the exit, hoping Noctis would not follow you. Your second worry was Ignis spotting you since you knew he would be at the bar, which was situated right beside exit. You didn’t want him to worry about you or try to follow up with questions, but you knew it was nearly impossible to slip past him without being noticed.

                _Maybe if I just keep my head down he won’t see me._ You tried to power walk out of the building, but your friend’s voice stopped you.

                “Hey? Where are you going?” Almost as if he was tracking you, Ignis hopped up from his seat and began to follow you nearly immediately.

                “I’m going home.” You wiped at your eyes again and Ignis’ eyebrows furrowed in concern.

                “What’s the matter? Are you alright?” He lowered his voice. “What happened?”

                “Talk to Noctis.” You sniffed. “I’m calling a cab so don’t worry about how I’ll get back home.” You then turned on your heel and dashed through a throng of people to make your escape before Ignis could stop you.

                “Wait!” He called after you, but you were already pushing your way out of the door. _I just need to get away from this place and him._

 

* * *

 

                “So… can you tell me what happened with you and him the other night?” Ignis asked you a few days later as he sat on your bed. He wouldn’t stop bombarding your phone with calls, so you reluctantly gave your best friend the OK to visit you when you felt better. Ignis was a great friend, and he always knew how to make you feel better.

                “If you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to,” Ignis added in a lower tone when you didn’t answer him right away.

                “Didn’t you ask _him_?”

                “Yes, but I want to hear from you what happened. You know I hate one sided stories.”

                “He thought it would be fun to throw me against a wall and make out with me even though I told him no. He ruined my entire night.” You looked your friend right in the eyes finally. You left out the part about him trying to get under your dress, knowing Ignis would beat the living hell out of him even though Noctis totally deserved it.

                “I’m… I’m terribly sorry.” Ignis turned red. “I didn’t think… Wow.” He covered his hands with his mouth. “Listen, I’m so sorry I kept forcing you to watch him.”

                You quirked an eyebrow at him, realizing how guilty he looked. “It isn’t your fault-”

                “ _Yeah_ , it is. I take full responsibility.” He sighed. “Noctis… he admitted to me that he liked you but he rarely got to see you because we always hung out, so I was trying to put you two together. He seemed to have good intentions and you know my relations with him… we’ve been friends for quite a while. He seemed like someone good for you, if you ever grew to return his feelings, but I didn’t think he would have gone about it in that way. Forgive me; I shouldn’t have tried to force that on you.”

                “Wait… what?” Your eyes widened. “That’s impossible, Ignis-”

                “Oh I think it’s quite possible.” He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you, but I didn’t want you to think he was drunk and just acting on you because you were the only available target.”

                _Well it sure felt like it._ You scoffed. “Well if that’s the case tell him he never has a chance with me and he should look elsewhere. I never want to see him again,” you snapped, despite how baffled you felt that he out of all people had feelings for you.

Instead of the shocked expression you expected, Ignis’ expression remained neutral as a look of understanding passed through his green eyes. “I’m so sorry that happened. I’m assuming you want to be alone now?”

                You nodded, running your fingers along the stitching of your quilt. “Thanks for coming over to check in on me.”

                He smiled softly. “That’s what I’m here for. Call me if you need me.” He stood to his feet and you let him walk his way to your front door. As soon as you heard the door close you laid back on your bed and stared up at the ceiling, getting lost in your thoughts.

                _Since when did that spoiled brat start having feelings for me?_ You frowned. Noctis had always been pretty fond of you ever since Ignis introduced you both, and you always felt like your relationship with Ignis was different since you met the prince. You didn’t get to spend as much time with Ignis as you wanted to and instead Noctis slithered his way into your life.

                Your relationship was a complicated one, one that slipped in and out of a friendship. You two weren’t particularly close, but then again Noctis told you odd little things about himself that were supposed to be secrets between you both. You just never thought that any of the things he did for you, any of the things he told you, or the late night messages and calls meant anything. You just assumed he was bored out of his mind and you were his second option when his real friends weren’t available to him.

 _He’s cute and all, but whatever. He’s not my type._ Your frown deepened. _But we did have a lot of fun together before our time together got excessive._

                You turned on your side, closing your eyes and waiting to be clutched by the claws of sleep. _It all doesn’t matter now though. There’s nothing that can get me to accept him now._

* * *

                It wasn’t until a week later when you felt comfortable to be around the other guys again after much convincing from Ignis. They made no mention of you and Noctis, and thankfully the black haired prince had made himself scarce. Time continued on until one day you finally met your demise.

                Ignis was supposed to come over to your place to pick you up so you two could hang out together. You received his text that he was outside and you had happily left your house to go greet him. As soon as you closed your front door behind you and headed down the short walkway to the street, you noticed a familiar tussle of black hair.

                _You’ve got to be kidding me_. You stopped walking and glared at Ignis as he walked up to you. “I thought I told you I _never_ wanted to see him again,” you said through gritted teeth as Noctis turned to look at you.

                 Ignis sighed. “I tried to keep him at home, but I’m his friend too. It’s impossible to keep us separated forever. I was taking him to the grocery store when you called and I am going to drop him off at home before we head off. He’s definitely not coming with us.”

                You rolled your eyes, sending a death glare in the prince’s direction. Instead of the reaction you expected, guilt passed through his features. For a second you felt horrible for being so mean to him, but you couldn’t forget how you felt trapped against the wall beneath him, how terrifying his expression was, and how he held you so tight your wrist was still red and painful hours later.

                “He’s sorry,” Ignis suddenly said, noticing how upset you looked.

                You kept your steely expression, but finally looked away from Noctis. “I’m sure he is.” _Why can’t he just say it to my face if he’s so sorry?_

“Because if he said it to your face you’d most likely rip his head off and he knows that. He’s not as dumb as he behaves.” Ignis chuckled as you accidentally spoke your thoughts out loud. “He was drunk. He really didn’t mean it. He tells me he regrets what he did to you every day.”

                “I don’t believe it.” You huffed as you turned on your heel to head back inside your house. “You can hang out with him. I don’t want anything to do with him.” You heard Ignis call after you, but you ignored him as you childishly slammed the door to your house. As you leaned against the wood of the door, you felt a growing, gnawing feeling of guilt rise up in your chest. Part of you wanted to forgive Noctis since he clearly wasn’t in his right mind, but then again you still felt betrayed by him.

                You released your breath, not realizing you had been holding it. _Just give yourself time to heal._

* * *

                “She still hates me, doesn’t she?” Noctis sighed as Ignis returned to the car and sat down in the driver’s seat.

                “I would too if I were her.” Ignis started the car. He gazed at your front door before letting out an irritated sigh. “I thought she would at least ride with us.”

                “She knows I can’t go back in time and change what happened. If I hadn’t drunk so much I would’ve never done that to her…” Noctis slammed his fist against the arm rest of the Regalia. “Why doesn’t she realize that!?”

                Ignis side eyed his friend, trying to not point out the fact he was having a temper tantrum like a five year old. He couldn’t think of anything to say to his friend, so he simply remained silent.

                “Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?” Noctis’ blue eyes peered into Ignis’ green ones.

                “Only time will tell.” Ignis accelerated the car and pulled away from the curb after glancing back at your house. He didn’t mean to hurt the two closest people to him, all he wanted was for them to be happy, but somehow he managed to screw everything over.

* * *

                Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months until you saw Noctis again. You wanted to treat Ignis with a birthday cake for his birthday, and your desire to see your best friend was stronger than your dislike for Noctis. Gladio and Prompto were happy to see you as always, but when Noctis finally entered the room the entire atmosphere changed. You immediately stopped telling Prompto your favorite joke and became tight lipped when Noctis glanced at you.

                “This cake is delicious!” The blond shouted to try to lift the mood, but every step Noctis took closer to all of you seemed to echo off of the walls.

                “I’m going to go wash the dishes,” you said quickly just when the prince reached the table. He didn’t even look at you, but everyone else’s eyes were on you both as they sat in absolute silence. No one stopped you as you collected all of the dirty dishes and headed to the kitchen.

                _If I can just avoid him all night that would be perfect._ You turned the sink on and placed the dishes in the sink. _But that’s nearly impossible.  This is his house; he knows every nook and cranny while I’m only sure of the common rooms._

                _Maybe I should just leave,_ you considered just as you finished the dishes. _But I don’t want to do that… I promised Ignis I would visit him and I’ll stick to that._ You dried your hands, but did not return to the main dining room. Instead you decided to head down the hall. You took several turns until you ended up in your favorite place in Noctis’ house: a hall where one wall was nothing but rows and rows of windows overlooking the back garden. You always found it so beautiful and relaxing to stare down at all of the many flowers and sometimes wildlife.

                Just as you were starting to relax, someone’s voice made your blood run cold.

                “So you’re here?”

                _What the hell is he doing here? Why didn’t Ignis stop him?_ You turned to find Noctis standing in the entrance of the hall. He was handsome as he always was, but you couldn’t help but to tense in his presence. There was an air of calmness around him, but there was also something else intimidating about him that you couldn’t quite pinpoint.

                “It’s beautiful here, isn’t it,” he asked you another question as he still focused on the world outside of the windows. He took several small steps closer to you, and you clenched your fists.

                “What do you want, Noctis?” Your tone came out more accusing then you wanted. _I should be nicer. He probably is sorry for what happened, and I really shouldn’t be making him mad._

                “I’m just walking in my own home.” His words were innocent, but you caught annoyance in his tone.

                _Well, can’t you walk somewhere else?_ You took in a deep breath. “Everything has a purpose. There’s a reason you’re here.”

                His gaze that was so focused on the garden beneath you both suddenly was fixated on you. “You’re right.” Without giving you time to say anything else he simply said, “I want to tell you sorry. I’m tired of us trying to avoid each other like this.”

                It would’ve been easier to just forgive him, to tell him that you understood he wasn’t in his right state of mind, but for some reason you still wanted to take everything out on him. “You’re not sorry,” you goaded him.

                For some reason you loved the quick hurt and then burning anger that passed through his eyes. He took quick steps towards you, but he surprisingly kept enough distance between you both. “I’m _sorry,_ OK? You know that wasn’t the real me!”

                “Why are we still talking about something that happened months ago,” you snapped. “I don’t even care about us!”

                 He flinched but did not back down. “Because… Because you’re still important to me!”

                You narrowed your eyes at his response, but for some reason you believed him. Noctis didn’t waste his time on people he didn’t care about.

                “I didn’t mean to do the things I did to you that night. I know I should’ve listened to you. I should’ve done a lot of things different, but I can’t take it back and I wish I could. Can’t you at least forgive me?”

                “I forgave you a long time ago,” you deadpanned.

                 His eyes widened; he was completely taken aback. “Then… why…?”

                “Because every time I look at you I have to remember that night. While everyone else was out celebrating, I had to cry in bed after taking painkillers!”

                 He cringed. “Why not remember all the fun we used to have at those stupid parties? How we used to make fun of people’s dancing and try all those weird drinks? Why do you keep thinking about one mistake I made?”

                You felt bad, realizing he was right. He had apologized to you countless times via text until you blocked him _,_ and you knew you should’ve accepted his apology sooner. __I should just give him another chance.__

                “How can I make it up to you,” he asked in the silence that followed.

                _You can stay away from me,_ you wanted to say but you knew you were being unfair to him. “Just… give me some space. I need to think,” was all you said before you started to walk away. In truth, you didn’t know how to deal with him and you were unsure if you could ever mend your broken relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! Any ideas on what will happen next? If you liked it, click that kudos button or leave a comment :)


	2. Chapter 2

                “Ignis, why does Noctis like me?”

                Ignis almost spat out his coffee. “Why don’t you ask him? I have no idea what goes on in his head.”

                You glanced across the room at the prince as he busied himself with a newspaper. He was everything you weren’t: calm, collected, rich…  You couldn’t understand why he would be interested in you, especially when you treated him like garbage for so long.

                _He kinda deserved it though._ You quickly averted your gaze when he looked up from his paper to look at you. You knew he had caught you staring, and you didn’t miss the smirk on his face as you tried to focus on anything but him.

                “Did you two make up,” Ignis asked quietly.

                “No. Not yet.” You sipped on your tea, stealing another glance at Noctis.

                “ _Yet?_ So you two are working on it?”

                You shrugged, looking away as to not get caught again. “It’s progress.” What you didn’t tell him was you and Noctis had been taking baby steps ever since he last talked to you during Ignis’ birthday party. He was obedient in giving you space, not bothering to contact you until you reached out to him first. It started as simple text messages and eventually bloomed into phone calls and short chats whenever you were around him.

                Ignis smiled. “Whatever you decide to do I’ll always support you.”

                You frowned at him in question, but he suddenly got up to leave the room. He was whispering that he’d be back, but the next thing you knew Noctis was rustling his newspaper loudly to get your attention.

                “What is it?” You scowled at him, but in truth you didn’t mind his attention on you.

                “Can I take you out later?”

                _What the hell?_ You decided to stay polite even though the question took you off guard. “Did you sit there pretending to read that newspaper all this time so you could think of how to ask me out?”

                His cheeks reddened and his eyebrows furrowed. “No. Just answer the damn question.”

                _I love teasing him_. You smirked in amusement and in turn you saw him relax. Even though things were better than before, you noticed Noctis still seemed to be a little bit hesitant and unsure about you and your feelings towards him.

                “I’ll go with you,” you said after a moment of silence, watching his face light up with a pleasant smile.

                “Can you be ready by seven?”

                You nodded after checking the time on your phone. “Where are we going exactly,” you asked as he set his newspaper aside.

                “It’s a surprise. Just… wear something comfortable.”

                “Alright.” You stood to take your leave, watching Noctis out of the corner of your eye. His eyes were all over you, and he certainly wasn’t discrete about it. If you wouldn’t have known he liked you, you would have been disgusted, but you still didn’t mind having all of his attention.

               

* * *

 

                When Noctis said he was taking you out you didn’t expect him to take you out to the arcade. For someone of his status you expected maybe a fancy restaurant, but you supposed the prince had to get out and have his own fun too.

                “It’ll be fun! You need to learn to loosen up.” He took your hand in his and you felt yourself blush as he led you through the front doors. You were sure people would notice who he was, but much to your relief no one approached you both the entire time you were there.

                “What you need to do is relax.” Noctis showed you towards a pinball game. “The guys and I come here all the time. This one is my favorite, and I could show you how to play if you want.”

                “I think I know how to play pinball.” You walked up to the game to look down through the glass at the various objects on the board. In truth it had been ages since you played a game like this.

                “So is this how we’re going to be with each other now?” Noctis chuckled at your response.

                “Look, are you going to help me with this game or are you going to be a jerk the whole time?” You weren’t upset at him, but you did love the playful banter.

                “Who started this?” He smirked as the start button started flashing. “Push start; I’ll show you everything else.”

                He first started out trying to explain the objectives to you and some sort of strategy you never knew existed in a pinball game. It was when you started failing at the second game when he started helping you a little more than he needed to.

                “See, you’re not hitting it right,” he muttered. He placed his hand over yours when the ball started to fall towards the right bumper. “If you do it like this you can hit it at an angle where it’ll trigger the next event.”

                _He’s really into this but I guess this is fun._ “Why don’t you play it then since you’re so into it?”

                “Because what’s the fun if I win it for you?” You felt his breath on your neck from his close proximity to you. “Or would you like to play something else with me?”

                “Maybe later we can do something else.” You didn’t want to admit it to him, but this was pretty fun and you actually wanted to win.

                “OK.” He removed his hand from yours, but he was still standing close to you. You didn’t particularly mind until you felt him lean against you on your sixth try at winning.

                “Uhm, Noctis?” You glanced away from the game to look at him.

                “Sorry. Too close?”

                “No… You’re fine.” You tried to focus on the game to ignore the surprised look on his face. The words had just slipped out, but you probably owed it to him to be nice for once. “You just startled me,” you tried to clear it up, but instead you felt as if it gave the opposite effect.

                He hummed in response, placing his chin on your shoulder as you continued to play game after game. You didn’t see how it could be comfortable for him, but you forgot about him when you finally made it to the last objective of the game and the screen above the board began flashing that you were a winner.

                “Only took you forever,” he laughed against your neck, something you shouldn’t have found so attractive and stimulating. “Good job. I knew you could do it.”

                “How long did it take you to win the first time you played?” You waited for him to step back before you started collecting the tickets you had won.

                “Fourth try.” He smirked. “But I had Ignis with me, so he kinda helped me.”

                “I see,” you trailed off as you both started walking around the arcade seemingly aimlessly. You suggested another game to him to which he didn’t decline. Several tickets and laughs later he took you over to the prize booth to get you whatever you wanted with the tickets you had. After that he asked if you were hungry or wanted to leave.

                “We’ve had a long day.” He yawned as you held your prize under one arm, a large stuffed bear.

                “We played a few games, Noct.” You laughed. “Why are you so tired all the time anyway?”

                He shrugged. “Business keeps me tired. You know how Dad is, always wanting me to do all this stuff and all this training I have to go through… But that’s enough about me. We should eat since you’re hungry. Dinner’s on me, OK?” He walked with you towards a pizza place inside the arcade. “I would get us something better, but is this alright with you?”

                “Pizza’s always good. Why don’t I grab us a table while you order?”

                “Sounds like a plan.” He crossed his arms across his chest as you walked off to find a secluded table. Luckily it wasn’t too crowded and you found one by the window.

                It didn’t take long for Noctis to return with the pizza. You both ate in silence, you getting lost in your thoughts on how much fun you had with him and how you should’ve been nicer to him a while ago.

                _He didn’t deserve me to be a total jackass to him._ You noticed how fast he finished his food compared to you. _I really don't want this date to end._

                “Take your time,” he muttered as a group of girls sat directly by your table. You noticed them staring right away, but you expected them to be more focused on Noctis than you.

                “Hey, isn’t that the girl he was with at the New Year party?” You heard one of the girls say.

                “Yeah… that one that rejected him. What’s she doing here with him now?”

                “So, what are you going to be up to later,” Noctis asked to distract you from the girls’ conversation, but it was nearly impossible to ignore their loud chatter.

                “I know right! I mean, did you see her face after what he did?”

                “Did you see _his_ face after she left though? I’ve never seen him so… broken. Why doesn’t he go for someone else? She’s totally wrong for him.”

                Noctis cleared his throat when you didn’t answer him. “Hey, are you even listening to me?”

                “No… I’m sorry. Repeat what you said again.” You felt the heat rush to your cheeks from embarrassment and anxiety.

                Your date studied your face. “You look a little flushed. Are you alright?”

                “Yeah, fine.” You smiled at him, but he wasn’t buying it.

                “Why don’t we go outside where it’s cooler?” He stood and took your hand in his. One of the girls hissed as he drug you past them and outside of the arcade. “Better now?”

                You nodded, suddenly feeling extremely embarrassed.

                “You know, you don’t have to listen to what people say,” he quietly said.

                You looked up at him in shock, but he had already started walking back to the car.             

                “People are always going to talk about you… and me.” He shoved his hands into his pockets.

                “I’m sorry if I caused trouble for you that night,” you said quietly as you followed behind him.

                “Why are _you_ apologizing? It was my mistake.” He briefly turned to face you, slowing his pace so you could walk side by side with him.

                “Yeah, but everyone’s blaming me apparently.”

                “They’ve always blamed you. That’s not anything new. Ever since Ignis introduced us and we started hanging out everyone’s noticed you.” He then looked away. “You just never knew because I never told you the things they’d say about you once you were no longer around.”

                You bit your lip, realizing he had been shielding you this whole time. _He’s a great guy. I totally don’t deserve him._

                “Hey… Noct?” Your voice came out softer than you wanted.

                “Hmm?”

                “What is it about me that you like?”

                The question seemed to take him off guard as you caught him blushing. He tried to turn his face away from you to hide it. “Who said I liked you?” He playfully laughed under his breath as he stopped beside his car.

                “The women. They always ask if we’re dating or think we’re together. What do you think about that?”

                He slightly frowned. Noctis didn’t know that Ignis had told you how he felt about you, so you tried to play along with him, never letting him know you knew his secret.

                “I think… You know they’re just jealous of what we have…” He finally looked at you. “I also think that we could make that a reality… if you wanted.”

                You studied his face, noticing how vulnerable he looked right then. “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”

                “In… In a way.” He was completely flustered and you giggled. A smile sprung to his lips at your positive response and you found yourself blushing.

                It was a strange feeling; you had completely changed the way you thought about him. You never quite had romantic feelings for him, but for the first time you were starting to. You always had quickly pushed those kind of thoughts aside when thinking about his royal status, but the closer and closer you got to him you actually started to _like_ him. Gone were the forced interactions and instead in their place were genuine laughter and happiness. After a good night out, you couldn’t wait to see him again or hear your phone chirp with a notification from him whining about how he rather see you than be in a meeting. For the first time in a long time he made you happy.

                “So… yes or no,” he asked nervously when you didn’t respond to him right away.

                It was then you noticed you had been staring at him for quite a while, completely lost in your admiration for him. “I…” You had to look away from him, finding yourself now flustered.

                “It’s OK if you’re not sure yet.” You saw the lopsided smile he gave you out of the corner of your eyes. “I understand. We’ve kinda been through a lot.”

                “Yeah. We have.” You liked Noctis, you were sure of that, but for some reason you couldn’t produce the words to tell him.

                “Why don’t you think about it?” His voice was soft and closer to your ear than you remembered him to be. “You can tell me your decision tomorrow.” He opened the car door for you, signaling he wanted to end the conversation.

                You fell silent as well, hopping into the car and trying to enjoy the ride back to your place. It was a long thirty minutes, but you tried to fill it with thoughts of whether you wanted to be with the prince or not.

                “We’re here,” he suddenly said as he stopped outside of your house.

                “Thanks for the ride.” You smiled when he got your door again and started walking you to your front door.

                “You’re welcome.” He stopped on your door mat as you unlocked your door. “I hope you enjoyed today.”

                “I did. It was a lot of fun.” You smiled, feeling like you were both teenagers all over again after a first date. You could tell he was nervous, and you were blushing profusely. “We have to do it again sometimes.”

                “Yeah… Definitely.” He returned your smile. “And next time we can pick somewhere more private so we don’t get disturbed.”

                “I’d like that.”

                He laughed quietly and you found it adorable. You both stood there in awkward silence until he finally said, “Well, good night. I’ll text you later.”

                “Good night, Noctis.” You stood on tip-toe to kiss his cheek. Before he could properly respond, you pushed your door open and waved him goodbye. His face was completely flushed, an adorable expression you hadn’t seen in weeks, as he waved back to you. You gently closed your door and locked it, letting out a happy yet exhausted sigh.

                _I like him so much, but am I ready to really date him?_

 

* * *

               

                It was difficult for you to sleep that night, and it was even more difficult for you to face Noctis the next day. Your mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. You liked Noctis, you had fun with him, and he made you happy, but you had the fear of everything eventually falling apart.

                _What if we have another huge fight or he falls out of love with me? What if he decides he wants to marry an actual princess? What if he changed his mind overnight?_

                You weren’t a very negative person, but that was all you could think about when he called you the next day and said he wanted to see you again. Driving to his place seemed to take longer than usual and you felt as if lead was in your boots as you walked up the stone steps to his castle. His staff let you in and you felt as if all the air was sucked out of you as the huge wooden doors closed behind you.

                _Will he get mad if I say no, but why would I even refuse him? What if I tell him I want to wait, but what’s the point in waiting?_

                “You’re finally here.”

                His voice alone nearly made you stop in your tracks. _Why is he so intimidating all of a sudden?_ “It’s important to drive safely, Noctis.”

                He chuckled as he gestured for you to follow him up the winding staircase that led to more rooms. You obediently followed him, suddenly feeling less tense as he made small talk with you.

                “How was your night?” He led you down a long, narrow hall. He kept stride with you despite his longer legs.

                “Fine,” you lied. “How was yours?”

                “It was kinda hard to sleep. Had someone on my mind. That storm last night didn’t necessarily help with sleeping either.”

                You didn’t dare ask who he was thinking about, but his sideway glance at you somewhat confirmed your suspicions. _He was up all night thinking about me too._

                Before you could get a word in he stopped at a door and opened it. He let you walk in first and you were surprised to find that this was someone’s bedroom. It was beautifully decorated and spotless, leaving you breathless.

                _His bedroom?_ You stopped in your tracks nearly making him run into the back of you.

                “Hey, you can’t just stop like that you know,” he teased as he gently pushed you forward. “I wanted us to speak in private without any distractions,” he cleared up. “We could’ve went to my office, but it makes me exhausted to even think about work. I hope this doesn’t make you uncomfortable.”

                “This is fine,” you said quietly even though it did slightly put you on edge. You had never been in his bedroom before and never imagined in your wildest dreams you’d be here. Everything was so clean and perfect; it was almost as if no one even lived here.

                “So… did you make up your mind,” Noctis nonchalantly asked you.

                “About what?”

                You caught his eyebrows dip in annoyance. “Are we really going to start today off like this?”

                “You’re just so finicky. It’s fun teasing you,” you admitted when in fact you couldn’t believe that he had completely cut to the point.

                Color rose to his cheeks. “Well just answer my question…”  

                “There’s nothing to think about.” You swallowed when you realized just how close he was to you. You glanced over at him, noticing the puzzled look on his face. “I know I want you,” you finally said, noticing the sense of relief wash across his face.

                “Never thought I’d hear you say that,” he chuckled putting one arm around your shoulders. He was soft and smelled of freshly washed clothes. Your lips brushed his neck as he leaned over to hug you, and you knew right then and there you wanted him to kiss you.

                “Never thought you’d finally ask me out,” you whispered against his neck and you felt him shiver against you. You weren’t sure if it was from the cool breeze or if he liked where this was going.

                He hummed before placing a kiss on your forehead as he tried to stop hugging you, but you grabbed his waist and pulled him closer.

                “More,” you whispered against his lips.

                His lips curled into a smirk, his blue eyes reflecting with something you hadn’t quite seen before. The next thing you knew, his lips were crashing against yours and he was kissing you over and over again. Everything was intoxicating about him: the way his lips moved against yours, how his hands felt all over your body, and especially the way he looked at you after he pushed you down on his bed.

                “Is this alright,” he asked quietly, his body over yours.

                “Yes,” you said quickly, attaching your lips back to his again. It was a quick kiss, as he had already moved down to leave love bites along your neck.

                “Eager, aren’t we?” He teased in a low, husky voice against your skin.

                “I think you’re the one that’s eager.” You gasped when he nipped the skin where your neck met your shoulder.

                “Shh,” he gently hushed you, his blue eyes meeting yours. Even though his tone was gentle, there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Let’s see how quiet you can be while we get this done.”

                _I’m so in for it tonight,_ was all you could think before he lovingly kissed you again.

               

* * *

 

                “So… I see you two made up,” Ignis commented as soon as he noticed the numerous love bites on your neck and collarbone the next day.

                “Stop it,” you said under your breath, finding a blush rising to your cheeks. You hadn’t cared what Noctis had done to you last night, but right now you were extremely embarrassed.

                “It’s blatantly obvious,” Ignis mumbled before turning to smile at you. “Nothing to be ashamed of.”

                You turned to glower at him, but stopped when you heard Prompto and Noctis giggling from down the hallway. It was only mere seconds when the prince and his best friend rounded the corner. You met eyes with your boyfriend almost instantly, his wide grin turning to more of a soft smile when he noticed you.

                “Ready to go?” He gently asked you.

                You nodded, standing to your feet and taking the prince’s outstretched hand.

                “Hey, where are you going? We just got back,” Prompo pouted.

                “I promised I’d take her out later.” Noctis smiled at his friend before turning his attention to you.

                “Oh… Oh!” A devilish smirk lined Prompto’s lips. “You didn’t tell me you were _together_ ,” he sung.

                “That’s exactly why he didn’t.” Ignis sighed as he stood and started to lead Prompto away. “Have fun you two,” he called out to you both as the younger man tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

                “Arcade again,” you asked as Noctis slung his arm around your shoulder after the two men departed.

                “No. Something better.” He kissed your forehead gently as he started leading you towards the front door. “It’s something we both love.”

                “That can be so many different things!”

                “ _Exactly._ ” He gazed down at you, admiring his handiwork on your neck. “You're always asking all these questions. Didn’t we agree we’d just go with the flow?”

                You rolled your eyes, not believing he was bringing up something he uttered to you while half asleep in the bed beside you this morning. “OK. Just surprise me, Noct.”

                “My pleasure. I promise you’ll love it.” He opened the front door for you, allowing the cool spring air meet you both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and thank you for all your kudos/comments! I hope you enjoyed this story :) If you liked it, hit that kudos button or leave a comment.


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